Mary Mcdonald never expected to feel connected with someone like Regulus Black.
At first, Mary thought that Regulus was an asshole (and, well, sometimes he was an asshole), but he understood more than anyone what is like to love quietly and still with the force of the ocean. She relates to that.
Most of her friends loved louder than a plane. Potent. Safe if you know how to land but easily hurt by external agents.
James and Lily's love was like a chimney fire. Like home, with the loyalty of a good family.
Sirius's love was like marching band. Maybe he didn’t have the words, but he had the drums, the trumpets, and the flutes. He wasn’t always aware, but his love was always on display for everyone to see.
Remus and Marlene loved with fury, leaving traces everywhere, impossible to ignore even when they try everything to be quiet.
But Mary preferred to love like the sea; strong enough to destroy a city, kind enough to create life, and smart enough to know where it belonged. Always in Its place but always moving, with eternal mysteries about what’s inside.
And the truth is that she likes to be a loud person. She likes to scream at parties, answer in her favorite classes and give her opinion on every matter because she knows that she is usually right, but she adores loving quietly. She adores it because she Isn’t expected to do so and she adores it because she can control how she shows it to the world.
That meant that, when she caught the younger Black brother watching James with an adoring expression and a storm in his eyes she knew they were more similar than she thought. Because Regulus never talks to James. He doesn’t expect him to look back. Regulus just observes from the distance.
Mary observes Lily too.
Mary is Lily’s bestfriend. She talks to her every day. She Comforts her when she is sad. She sings her favourite songs with her in the common room. She is at Lily’s side all the time and she observes her, but she doesn’t expect to be observed.
Mary was a loud person and a quiet lover.
Regulus was a quiet person and an even quieter lover.
She knew how to cross the ocean and he was dragged by the current.
So, when Lily smelt Amortentia in potions class and look directly into Mary’s eyes, she didn’t know what to do.
Because, the fact is, Mary doesn’t love quietly because she isn’t brave. Mary loves quietly because precious feelings deserve special places. That was her biggest difference in the matter with Regulus.
But, well, if Lily wanted her back, what could be a more special place to put a feeling in if not in each other?
That’s the reason why she decided to choose Lily’s way for once.
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Mary asked out Lily on Valentine's Day.
It wasn´t the 'go big or go home' kind of thing. Lily hated those.
Instead, it was theirs.
She took Lily to a tree near the lake, were a book was waiting for her.
Lily´s favourite book, Wuthering Heights, illustrated with movement with Mary's magic.
It wasn't big. But it was loud.
The whole thing screamed I love you.
And, apparently, Lily loved her back, so they kissed.
Mary didn’t know she was allow to do that. How could she?
Holding Hands in the corridors
Cuddle at night
Going on dates
Or even wishing a future with her girlfriend.
Girlfriend
The word still feels unreal.
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Lily likes to accompany Marlene to quidditch practices. Mary obviously knew that.
What she didn’t know is that their relationship meant that rejecting Marlene’s invitations to spy on Slytherins (which you can translate to Marlene making an excuse to watch Dorcas play) was going to be harder.
She ended up accepting after two weeks of declining invitations because Lily gave her flowers that morning so she was in a good mood. Mary said that it was a smart move and Lily simply replied: “Oh, I know.” But how could she be mad when gave Mary a sincere smile of happiness?
The stands were almost empty and it seemed that James was waiting for them, because Marlene greeted him casually and Lily gave him a hug as if him being there was the most normal thing in the world.
Maybe it was.
"Spying on the Slytherins?" she said.
But instead of reciving an anwser from James, Lily said: "As if, he comes every week with us."
Or maybe it wasn´t.
Because James Potter's ears were blusing.
James Potter was there, watching the Slytherin team train with a grin on his face.
That James Potter grin was all she needed to wonder.
Because James Potter was watching Regulus Black.
The same Regulus Black that watches him at the Great Hall.
And, James was a loud lover.
Indeniably loud.
That was the first time Mary realized that maybe there was some hope for Regulus Black after all.
A chance to be loud too for once.